Kelly Gootee '17 Recruiting Profile

Hello, my name is Kelly Gootee. I am a senior at Edmonds Woodway High School, located in Edmonds, Washington, a small town about fifteen miles north of Seattle, Washington. I have been playing volleyball for seven years now and am very interested in playing at the collegiate level. My coaches and fellow teammates know me as a strong leader,  a dedicated, and passionate teammate. These qualities are what have shaped me into a respected teammate, sister, daughter, student, and friend. My dream is to find a suitable school that will be a fit for me, not just athletically, but also personally and academically.

I began playing volleyball at the age of ten, at my local Boys and Girls Club. I went on to coach a team for the Boys and Girls Club. Ever since then, I have enjoyed every single bit of this incredible game. When I was old enough, I decided I wanted to improve my skills on the court by playing on a local club team, NW Juniors. I played at this club for three years before switching to the Space Needle Volleyball Foundation for my U17 year. The reason for changing club teams was the opportunity to be coached by Raquel Chumpitaz-West, a setter on the Peruvian National Team. This move proved successful in advancing my setting skills a great deal.

In addition to these teams, I have also been playing at my high school for the past four years.  Edmonds Woodway High School is part of the Wesco 3A schools. Entering the program as a freshman I was extremely excited to have a spot on the Junior Varsity team, but my goal for the next year was to make the Varsity team. Accordingly, I used the off-season to concentrate on what I had to achieve to make the Varsity team. The following season, as a sophomore, I made varsity, and not only did I make the team, but I started and played in every game.  That year we were district champs, then went on to claim 9th in State.  I received a sportsmanship award at the State tournament.  It was very exciting as a newcomer on the team. The following year I got the record at my school for most assists in a season, and earned all team honorable mention. This season I am a senior captain on my team, as well as the starting setter for the third year. Throughout these years I have gained an insane amount of respect for the sport, many close friends, many memories, and exceptional amount of skill. I am very passionate about the sport and will be a huge asset to any team I am part of.